What do we know about Mary’s actual labor and delivery of Jesus?

A. When it comes to the actual technicalities of Mary’s delivery of Jesus, we really don’t have much information to go on. The Church teaches that she was a virgin before, during, and after the birth, but when it comes to the specifics of the physical birth itself, much is open to speculation. For example, many theologians believe that Mary did not actually go through normal labor in the birthing of Christ, believing she had the special privilege of a pain-free delivery; other theologians argue that Mary, being human, delivered her human (and divine) son just as any other mother would. The Church has not issued a dogmatic statement either way.

Obviously, we have no way of knowing Mary’s specific situation here, but it is probably worth noting that if she did go through labor, she did so without an epidural, like every other woman of her time and many women today.